Rebarrelling a Marlin 1894 to 45 Colt

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AJMD429
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Rebarrelling a Marlin 1894 to 45 Colt

Post by AJMD429 »

I rebarrelled mine with a factory round barrel from the factory 44 Mag to 45 Colt, and no parts other than the barrel were needed. So it was an easy project, other than I accidentally broke off the extractor and had to replace it.

However my son wants to do the same project, only use a faster-twist than the factory offers.

a) what twist would you guys recommend for using heavy 45 caliber bullets...?
b) what source of barrels would you advise...?
c) since the barrel will need the receiver-end made properly and won't likely be "from the factory", would this need to be a gunsmith project to be sure it all works out right...? If so - recommended gunsmiths...?
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Re: Rebarrelling a Marlin 1894 to 45 Colt

Post by Sixgun »

Doc,
A little background info.......one of the reasons I like the old guns with few exceptions is because near anything I want to shoot out of them will work, and work accurately, from light bullets to heavy, cast or jacketed...from 800-1500 fps. (Within pressure limits) I've seen it time and time again, guys bragging about their 45 Colt or 44 magnum leverguns that shoot ooooooohhhh so great! Yes..."ammunition specific" is what they fail to mention. They also have a "accuracy illusion" on what is accurate....

I've owned Marlins and Miroku's in 44 mag and 45 Colt and they were all "ammunition specific". Along with twist rates that were way too slow and groove diameters that were waaaaaayyyy too large, all to appease the lawyers and keep pressures down.

Who wants to have a 45 Colt levergun that will only shoot 250 grain jacketed bullets at 1800 fps ...accurately? By accurate I mean 2" at 100 or 4" at 200 meters. I want to be able to load 200 grain bullets at 700 if I want to. ANY modern gun will shoot most anything accurate at 50 yards.....to me that is revolver accuracy. As Elmer Keith said, "the true test of a gun and load is long range."

"Oh boy! I hit ten 12" plates in a row at 20 yards with my Marlin cowboy gun!"

Most all modern big bore leverguns in the 44 mag or 45 Colt cartridges just don't have it. I sent one Marlin back to the factory 3 times before I sold it.

Brings us to your issue.....satisfaction only comes when spending a fair amount of money.....If a job is cheap, so will be the accuracy. (Think of buying a camera...or optics) TWO definite items are a must...a faster twist and a tighter groove diameter.....I would opt for a 1-18 twist with a groove diameter no larger than .452. Failure to do either will just put you back in the "factory class" of accuracy. Ya got to hunt down a 'smith who can do the finer details.
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Re: Rebarrelling a Marlin 1894 to 45 Colt

Post by 3leggedturtle »

Doc, a 325-400gr cast bullet at 800-1000fps would be a great penetrator and easy on shoulder. Was shooting 350gr cast at1100fos out of a 4.5lb Contender Carbine. The splash effect when they hit the berm was amazing.
30/30 Winchester: Not accurate enough fer varmints, barely adequate for small deer; BUT In a 10" to 14" barrelled pistol; is good for moose/elk to 200 yards; ground squirrels to 300 metres

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Re: Rebarrelling a Marlin 1894 to 45 Colt

Post by Griff »

I'd prefer a 1:16, but my Marlin Cowboy barrel is about 1:32. It makes just over ½ a revolution in its 17" length. Back when I compared my 6 45 Colt rifles I didn't record any accuracy information. Somewhere I have pics of the targets I used...
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Okaaaay... but, which was which? Your guess is just as good as mine! BTW, don't critique the shot, I had knelt down to center the middle group in the camera and ended up with the cameral pointed uphill...
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Re: Rebarrelling a Marlin 1894 to 45 Colt

Post by Sixgun »

This is how a pistol calibered levergun should shoot. Today, just for poops and giggles I slapped a 3-9 Leupold on an 1894 Marlin 44-40 made about 1910 using the two factory drilled holes on top of the receiver for Marlins receiver sight that was common back in the day. The two factory drilled holes are less than an inch apart.....I just redrilled an old rail.

The bore is TIGHT....425....the chamber will not accept a bullet larger than .427....makes for near perfect bullet to bore alignment.

I used a hilly billy benchrest....a dog grooming table wth a sandbag out in the horse's run-in shelter. First target was 50 meters and the second target (metal pig) was 142 yards. ...one hundred and forty two yards. :D There's not a Rossi or a Uberti in the world that will shoot like this.

210 grain cast bullet sized .427 from a Hensley and Gibbs mould from the 1950's in front of 7 grains of 231 for 1100 fps.

Doc...when your boy rebarrels his rifle make sure the groove diameter is no more than .452...then use a .454 diameter bullet.

1894 Marlin 44-40

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I use the corners of the black for a more definitive aiming point....after getting the scope sighted in I fired for group. There's 10 (TEN) shots in the 1 and 1/4" group on the far right target.....if I had taken my time with a better rest I'm sure I could have made it 3/4".

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In this photo on the pig the range was 142 yards. I blew one shot that went high....there's 7 shots in the other "splash" which is under 3". -----6

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Old Savage
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Re: Rebarrelling a Marlin 1894 to 45 Colt

Post by Old Savage »

Very nice in the experiment and the shooting !!!
In the High Desert of Southern Calif. ..."on the cutting edge of going back in time"...

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Re: Rebarrelling a Marlin 1894 to 45 Colt

Post by OldWin »

That's good shootin Six.
My problem is that I'm not accomplished enough as a caster to get that kind of results. :D
I can do pretty well with gas checked bullets, and get pretty good results with plain cast out to 100yds, but not as good as jacketed most of the time.

My little 44 Trapper shoots pretty good with jacketed. I don't know how "bullet specific" it is cause I've only used one bullet, the 240gr Hornady XTP. I'm an XTP fanboy and use them in .357 too. My Browning 92 .44 likes them too.
This was at 50yds with the Trapper while just leaning against my opened truck door.
"Oh bother", said Pooh, as he chambered another round.
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Re: Rebarrelling a Marlin 1894 to 45 Colt

Post by Old Savage »

44 B92, clover leaf three shot at 50 yds with the Win 240 white box ammo.
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Re: Rebarrelling a Marlin 1894 to 45 Colt

Post by Sixgun »

It's all relatively easy......jacketed bullets take out "the slop" in tolerances.....cast bullets show the real potential of the gun and shooter.....BUT, you HAVE to have near perfect tolerances.....which is a tight, straight bore, perfect crown, concentric chamber to bore....and ...and.....and
know the basics of cast bullet shooting which, by the way, is not rocket science.-----6...o....da......bro...
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Re: Rebarrelling a Marlin 1894 to 45 Colt

Post by AJMD429 »

This was a 50 yard group from my Marlin 1894css, so I know 'pistol cartridge leverguns' can do pretty well.

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The gun was equipped with a Burris FastFire-II and LaserMax pistol laser, and Coast flashlight, by the way - and the group fired at night...!
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Re: Rebarrelling a Marlin 1894 to 45 Colt

Post by OldWin »

Not bad Doc. Were those cast or jacketed?
The group from my 44 was the 240XTP over 23gr of IMR4227. Not very hot. They muzzle about 1500 from the Trapper and are pleasant to shoot.
"Oh bother", said Pooh, as he chambered another round.
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Re: Rebarrelling a Marlin 1894 to 45 Colt

Post by AJMD429 »

OldWin wrote: Wed Jan 20, 2021 1:05 pm Not bad Doc. Were those cast or jacketed?
The group from my 44 was the 240XTP over 23gr of IMR4227. Not very hot. They muzzle about 1500 from the Trapper and are pleasant to shoot.
I believe they were actually jacketed 38 special 158 grain bullets; that's usually what I keep in the gun since they are significantly quieter for barnyard use when I haven't grabbed hearing protectors.
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Re: Rebarrelling a Marlin 1894 to 45 Colt

Post by Sixgun »

Look at this group!!! Fired from 50 meters and measures .425, which is the diameter of the bullet....a perfect one hole group!

Moral of the story......three shot groups mean little...five shot groups are just a tad better....10 (TEN) shot groups show the real quality of a gun, the load, and the shooter. That's why competition in the CBA is 10 shots, the same reason why the original "shoozenfests" in the 1870's-1910 or so were 10 shots.

Don't take me wrong here and I'm not being an a.h., nor I am being arrogant and in no way attempting to be condescending even though it sounds like I am. (perception).... :D ......

Tight groups mean nothing in the way of hunting, plinking, or talking.....I'm just trying to prove a point that 99% of shooters fail to realize on what real accuracy ......or the quality of a gun/load is.

A couple of years ago, thinking I was "in the know", started competition in CBA matches.....5 matches the first year and three the next year before I dropped out, due to disgust......why? Out of around 15-20 guys I finished last in every match.....---6..o...de...hoe. :D

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Re: Rebarrelling a Marlin 1894 to 45 Colt

Post by OldWin »

I agree Six. I know mine is only 3 shot. I guess my thought was it was ok seeing as I was standing up just leaning against the truck door and shot it with a 16" barrel and a ghost ring.
But yes, I worry little about small groups. Up here, I never shoot very far. I'm much more concerned with first round time on target. And maybe a quick second. :D
"Oh bother", said Pooh, as he chambered another round.
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Re: Rebarrelling a Marlin 1894 to 45 Colt

Post by AJMD429 »

True Sixgun...

I figure there are two really adequate measures for accuracy:

1. a ten-shot group (shows consistency) and
2. a one-shot 'cold-bore' shot for accuracy (not 'group' but relative-to-bullseye - shows potential in real world)
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Re: Rebarrelling a Marlin 1894 to 45 Colt

Post by Catshooter »

It's been many years since I took a 94 apart so I'm a little fuzzy on the details. Fitting a barrel blank to a levergun is much more than just shortening, crowning and chambering. Is there a clearance cut underneath the barrel the 1/3 or so towards the chamber end? The magazine also hangs off the barrel so all that has to fit or be fitted. The barrel will profiling to match the factory so that the mag hangers and the forearm and it's parts will fit.

The first step on this project is to find a 'smith that'll do it and do the job you want.


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